1. Field
The disclosed and claimed concept relates generally to handheld electronic devices and, more particularly, to a handheld electronic device having a number of sound openings that are spaced from an audio transducer and are generally hidden from view.
2. Description of the Related Art
Numerous types of handheld electronic device are known. Examples of such handheld electronic devices include, for instance, personal data assistants (PDAs), handheld computers, two-way pagers, cellular telephones, and the like. Many handheld electronic devices also feature a wireless communication capability, although many such handheld electronic devices are stand-alone devices that are functional without communication with other devices.
Certain handheld electronic devices have loudspeakers that are intended to be placed against the ear of a user. Such handheld electronic devices would include telephones and electronic devices having a telephone capability, as well as other devices. Devices of this type typically include an audio transducer, i.e., a loudspeaker, disposed within a case at an end of the case. The case typically includes one or more sound openings formed therein adjacent a sound-producing element of the audio transducer. The sound openings provide fluid communication between the audio transducer and the atmosphere surrounding the handheld electronic device to enable sounds produced by the audio transducer to be transmitted to the atmosphere and to be heard by a user. While such devices have been generally effective for their intended purposes, such devices have not, however, been without limitation.
An electronic device having a loudspeaker that is intended to be held to the ear typically has a low output volume. In order for sound from the audio transducer to be received within the ear of the user, the outer ear desirably forms at least a partial seal with an outer surface of the electronic device in the region surrounding a sound opening. On some devices such as a conventional telephone, a seal can be achieved between the electronic device and the outer ear merely by placing the device against the outer ear. However, with relatively small handheld electronic devices, the sound openings can be disposed sufficiently close to an edge of the electronic device that an effective seal between the handheld electronic device and the user's ear can be difficult to establish. This is particularly the case with relatively small handheld electronic devices that are configured to include a relatively small output transducer as the loudspeaker. Such an output transducer is often disposed within a case as close as possible to an edge of the case for reasons of compactness. That is, a handheld electronic device typically will not include other electronic components that are disposed, for instance, between the audio transducer and the edge of the case. Handheld electronic devices of today typically employ printed circuit board architecture, with the result that electronic components typically will not be remote from the printed circuit board and disposed between an audio transducer and an interior edge of a case. To intentionally space an audio transducer from an edge of a case would typically result in the electronic device having a void region between the audio transducer and the edge of the case since such a region typically would not be occupied by other components of the electronic device. The result would be a case that is unnecessarily long and having undesirable void regions within an interior thereof.
It thus would be desirable to provide an alternative configuration that can overcome at least some of the aforementioned shortcomings in the art.
Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the specification.